In Shinbeppu-cho, Miyazaki City, near Hitotsuba Inari Shrine, the kaiseki restaurant Jikka Kurogi — known for showcasing Miyazaki's rich local ingredients under proprietress Yuki Kuroki — is heading into its first summer since relocating and renewing in November 2025. In the kitchen is Hiroshi Kuroki, father of Jun Kuroki, owner of the acclaimed Tokyo restaurant Kurogi in Shiba Daimon and known as Japan's "Iron Chef of Washoku."
Jikka Kurogi has long served its signature "Gochiso Kakigori" (feast-style shaved ice), which carries on the techniques of Kuriya Kurogi, the hugely popular Tokyo restaurant that has drawn waits of up to three hours at locations including Ueno. This summer, in response to guest requests, a long-awaited new flavor — Matcha Milk — has joined the lineup.
Many guests also pair the restaurant's signature Tai Chazuke (sea bream ochazuke), a dish that has been a favorite since the Sheraton days, with a bowl of the cold shaved ice, enjoying both in the relaxed setting of Hitotsuba.
From a Father's Legacy to a Family Story Carried by Siblings
Jikka Kurogi traces its roots to 1982, when Hiroshi Kuroki opened the kappo restaurant Konomichi in Chigusa-cho. Watching his father wield a knife with care in the kitchen, eldest son Jun Kuroki was drawn to a career in cooking and moved to Tokyo. After training at Kyoaji — the restaurant of Ken-ichiro Nishi, often described as a god of washoku — he opened Kurogi in Yushima, Tokyo, where the restaurant earned a star in the Michelin Guide Tokyo and Jun quickly became a well-known chef.
In 2016, driven by Jun's wish to pass on his father's flavors and techniques, Konomichi relocated inside the Sheraton Grande Ocean Resort and reopened as Jikka Kurogi, a sister restaurant to the Tokyo location. The Tai Chazuke that had become a hit dish in Tokyo was brought back to its hometown of Miyazaki, quickly becoming a signature menu item.
Then, in November 2025, the restaurant moved out of the hotel and into a standalone building beside Hitotsuba Inari Shrine, with the goal of giving guests a calmer, independent space to relax without formality. Today, proprietress Yuki Kuroki — Jun's sister — carries on their father's traditions and hospitality for the local community.
The Shaved Ice from Kuriya Kurogi, Famous for Long Lines in Tokyo (3 Flavors)
The shaved ice menu that captivated Tokyo diners — some waiting more than three hours, with fans saying it changed what they thought shaved ice could be — is now available at Jikka Kurogi. Built on the same careful preparation and ingredient selection found in washoku cooking, it's a rich, indulgent take on the dessert.
- Kuromitsu Kinako – ¥1,700 (tax included): The brand's signature flavor, pairing fragrant deep-roasted kinako (roasted soybean flour) with a rich, slow-simmered kuromitsu (black sugar syrup).
- Mitarashi Milk – ¥1,900 (tax included): A rich milk base topped generously with a house-made sweet-and-savory mitarashi sauce, balancing sweetness and saltiness.
- Matcha Milk – ¥2,200 (tax included): New this year — a rich blend of deep, slightly bitter high-grade matcha and a mellow house-made milk syrup, made for adult palates.
Pairing Kurogi's Tai Chazuke with Kuriya Kurogi's Shaved Ice
In Miyazaki, guests can experience the flavors of Tokyo's celebrated Kurogi and Kuriya Kurogi in a single visit. This summer, Jikka Kurogi is proposing a way to enjoy both signature dishes together.
The Kurogi Tai Chazuke, a guest favorite since the restaurant's relocation, features fresh sea bream coated in a rich sesame sauce, meant to be enjoyed first on its own and then finished by pouring tea over the rice. To close the meal, guests can move on to the shaved ice that draws three-hour lines in Tokyo — fluffy shaved ice topped with kuromitsu kinako, mitarashi milk, or the new Matcha Milk made generously with Uji matcha. Each flavor offers a cool, sweet contrast after the warmth of the tai chazuke.
From a warm dish to a cold one — that shift from "warm" to "cool" is part of what makes summer at Jikka Kurogi special.
Whether as the final stop on a trip, lunch with friends, or a family outing, the restaurant's course from tai chazuke to shaved ice is worth experiencing this summer.
Message from Proprietress Yuki Kuroki
"It has been more than 45 years since my father founded Konomichi. Thanks to the support of so many guests, we were able to begin a new chapter in November 2025, right next to Hitotsuba Inari Shrine. This first summer since our move, guests can now enjoy the new shaved ice flavor that my brother Jun has created at Kuriya Kurogi in Tokyo, right here at Jikka Kurogi. I hope you'll enjoy it together with our tai chazuke, in the comfortable air of Hitotsuba."
Details
Jikka Kurogi
Proprietress: Yuki Kuroki
Location: Shinbeppu-cho, Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture (near Hitotsuba Inari Shrine)
Official Instagram: @jikka_kurogi
Website: https://jikka-kurogi.co.jp/
